Private MD News

Most people need more vitamin D than they think

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

As more information continues to surface regarding the importance of vitamin D, blood testing to measure the levels of the nutrient in the blood have never been more important. Now, scientists realize that more people may be deficient than previously thought and higher doses are needed to maintain adequate levels.

For example, researcher Kevin Fiscella of the University of Rochester recently began taking daily doses of 1,000 international units, according to the New York Times. This is far in excess of the 600 international units that U.S. health agencies recommend.

Fiscella told the news source that he embarked on this supplementation course because his labs have conducted numerous studies showing that vitamin D is linked to the prevention of heart disease, cancer and bone disorders and that the body needs far more than previously thought.

Even if the lower historic standards of vitamin D consumption are accepted, many people are not getting enough. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one-third of all adults have vitamin D deficiencies. If it turns out that the body needs more of the nutrient than previously thought, that number could be even higher.